NIGP 39007: Cheese

NIGP 39007 Cheese, an Item code, represents a narrow but active commodity category where state and local governments procure shredded blend cheese, sliced cheese, string cheese, and specialty cheese products to supply institutional food service operations across corrections facilities, school districts, child care centers, and state-supported living centers. Recent solicitations show state corrections agencies and school nutrition departments as the primary buyers, with Oregon Department of Corrections and Texas Department of Criminal Justice issuing multiple ITBs for shredded blend cheese in volumes ranging from 40,000 to 120,000 pounds per contract, and school districts across Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Connecticut, and Texas incorporating cheese into broader grocery and food service procurements. Work under this code emphasizes volume commodity purchasing with detailed specifications: Oregon DOC requires minimum two-cheese blends with at least 40% mozzarella, sodium content not exceeding 350 mg per ounce, gluten-free certification, and six-month minimum shelf life, with pricing historically in the $1.15 to $1.89 per-pound range. Texas HHSC procures cheese products alongside 209 other supplemental food items for state hospitals and supported living centers on statewide term contracts with maximum values reaching $4.5 million over three years. School districts bid cheese as line items within master grocery contracts, while Head Start and child care programs source cheese under Child and Adult Care Food Program requirements.

The issuing-body mix spans state departments of corrections and health services, county and independent school districts of varying sizes, and regional cooperative purchasing vehicles. Oregon Department of Corrections appears twice in recent postings for separate shredded blend cheese solicitations (April and June 2026), while Texas HHSC issued multiple supplemental food procurements incorporating cheese. School districts including Pinellas County (Florida), Fairfax County (Virginia), Henry County (Georgia), Rockwood R-VI (Missouri), and Bridgeport (Connecticut) have solicited cheese as part of broader food service contracts. Geographic activity concentrates in the Southeast (Georgia, Florida, Connecticut) and Pacific Northwest (Oregon), with scattered activity in Texas and the Midwest (Missouri, Illinois). Representative recent opportunities include Oregon DOC's June 2026 ITB for 40,000 pounds of shredded blend and sliced low-sodium cheese, due June 22 at $1.89 historical pricing; Bridgeport Board of Education's June 2026 commodities bid incorporating cheese line items under Buy American Provision requirements; and California DGS's June 2026 RFI for mozzarella string cheese availability statewide, a pre-solicitation market-intelligence phase. Preferences and compliance requirements vary by jurisdiction—Oregon applies 5% preferences for Oregon-fabricated goods and Oregon-headquartered bidders, while school districts enforce Buy American thresholds (51% domestic agricultural content), USDA nutrition standards, and health department compliance. Pricing remains firm fixed for contract terms, with adjustments permitted only at renewal periods or when manufacturers demonstrate cost increases exceeding specified thresholds (typically 3–5%), supported by documentation.